Everyone loves a good challenge every now and then, but what if you were challenged to come up with a vehicle that could possibly change the way people drive?
Students from Ben Davis High School and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) are competing in the Shell Eco-marathon Americas, a unique competition that challenges students around the world to design, build and drive the most energy-efficient car. With three annual events in Asia, Europe and North America, student teams take to the track to see who goes further on the least amount of fuel.
“We are actually a class, and it’s a one hour class. There are 10 of us with a teacher and we designed and built a car from scratch using engineering software,” said Ryon Allbaugh, a senior at Ben Davis High School.
In addition to class time, the “Giant Mile” team stayed after school and worked during their school vacation to ensure their gas-powered car was ready for the competition.
Giant Mile’s final product is a sleek, three wheeled (two in the front and one in the rear, which helps make the car go faster) vehicle that seats one person.
Grant Wible, a freshman at IUPUI, said Team Jaguar, composed of 10 people, has two vehicles entered in the competition, one using compressed natural gas and the other electric. Both prototypes are three wheeled and can seat one person.
Team Jaguar is said to be the only competing team to use a modified 3D printer to print the vehicle’s body.
“I worked a lot on this. We had to modify our original plans but we got it to work. I very much enjoyed working with the 3D printer,” said Wible, a mechanical engineering major, who adds that some Team Jaguar members compete for research, others for fun.
More than 1,000 high school and university students from across Brazil, Canada, Guatemala, Mexico and the U.S. have hit Detroit’s downtown streets with custom built, ultra-energy efficient cars, all competing to win the Shell Eco-marathon Americas.
The competition is split into two categories. The Prototype class focuses on maximum efficiency, while passenger comfort takes a back seat. The Urban Concept class encourages street-legal car designs. Cars are also divided by energy type: Internal combustion engine fuels include petrol, diesel, and liquid fuel made from natural gas and ethanol. In the electric mobility category, vehicles are powered by hydrogen fuel cells and lithium-based batteries.
Over several days, teams make as many attempts as possible to travel the furthest on the equivalent of one liter of fuel. Cars drive a fixed number of laps around a circuit at a set speed. Judges calculate their energy efficiency and name a winner in each class and for each energy source.
Students can also receive recognition based on other achievements including safety, teamwork and design.
This year marks the ninth edition of Shell Eco-marathon Americas and the first ever in the auto industry capital, Detroit. Other competitions this year have taken place in Manila, Philippines and Rotterdam, Netherlands.
“Shell Eco-marathon is an invaluable program, shaping the industry leaders who will drive future automotive innovation,” said Niel Golightly, Shell vice president external relations for the Americas. “Beyond hands-on design and engineering experience, the students practice teamwork and problem solving on the fly—all important for future success.”
The competition dates back to 1939 when American Shell Oil Company employees made a friendly wager over who could travel the furthest on the same amount of fuel. Since then the competition has expanded. Today, it includes many energy types; helps students turn their vision of sustainable mobility into reality, if only for a few days; and sparks passionate debate around the future of energy and mobility.
Indianapolis teams worked with limited budgets, especially the Giant Mile team, but hope their creativity makes up for their modest allowance.
“Our program at Ben Davis is kind of new. And this is our first time going to a national competition, so we’re a bit nervous,” said Allbaugh. This is also the first year IUPUI is competing in the Shell Eco-marathon Americas.
“We’re nervous too, but we know just getting there is an accomplishment,” added Wible.
Other Hoosier institutions of learning competing in Detroit include New Castle Career Center and Rose Hulman Institute of Technology.
For more information about the Shell Eco-marathon, visit shell.com/global/environment-society/ecomarathon. For more information or to donate resources to the Indianapolis teams, contact Ben Davis High School at (317) 988-7000 or IUPUI at (317) 274-2533.
